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State Rep. Mark Rozzi is asking for two years to help child sex crime victims recover from decades of abuse.

The state legislature plans to consider a bill this fall that would extend the statute of limitations in the future for victims who were children when a crime occurred. The discussion comes in the wake of a grand jury report into sex crimes against children in six Roman Catholic diocese across the state and a failure by leadership to inform law enforcement.

Rozzi, D-126, Berks County, wants that legislation to include a provision for existing victims whose time to file a lawsuit under the current law has already passed.

“Until the bishops actually say we’re going to take real responsibility and allow these victims to go into a court of law and have their voices heard, whatever they’re saying is just meaningless to us. We don’t want to hear that you’re learning from this or you’re finally calling the cops. You should have called the cops 30 years ago,” he said in an interview Wednesday.

Rozzi has shared his account of being abuses by a priest while he was in eight grade with the state legislature. He wants to include language in a bill that would give people two years from the time it is signed to file lawsuits against their alleged abusers or people or institutions that may have hidden the crime.

That was one of the recommendations from July’s grand jury report, along with eliminating the criminal statute of limitations for sexually abusing children, clarifying the penalties for a continuing failure to report child abuse and prohibiting “non-disclosure” agreements regarding cooperation with law enforcement.

“We’ve heard this has been tried before in Pennsylvania, several times. And every time it is opposed by representatives of the church and its insurance companies. They say it would cost too much to let these child sex abuse victims get back their right to sue,” the report read. “We wonder how they decide how much is ‘too much.’”

Damages awarded in a lawsuit could pay for counseling or psychological services could help people suffering from the trauma of child sexual abuse, the grand jury wrote.

Opponents of the measure say a retroactive window to file claims is unconstitutional, but Rozzi said that is unclear.

Another complaint is that it could unfairly bankrupt diocese or close schools.

Money spent on lawyers, lobbyists and lavish lifestyles is to blame for financial difficulties the Church might have, Rozzi said.

“We want to put the liability back on the people who caused it. When the bishops decided to protect these guys, they put all the liability on the victims. All we’re trying to do is put the liability back on them and get victims some type of compensation back so they can go back to trying to put their lives together. A lot of these victims, their lives have been destroyed,” he said.

Asked about the proposal for a retroactive window to file claims, the Diocese of Scranton provided a written statement from the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera:

“For all organizations entrusted with protecting children, this should be a topic of deep consideration. The implications of a change in the statute of limitations is certainly a complicated legal issue. I do support lifting the criminal statutes of limitations. Changing the civil statute, though, is not permitted by the state constitution. That being said, I want to promote healing for victims and the faithful within the framework in place,” Bambera wrote.

Although the question of whether to a allow retroactive claims is unanswered, the legislature looks more likely to make a change to the statute of limitations moving forward.

Both a bill introduced by Rozzi in 2017 and the bill that the legislature plans to discuss this fall — Senate Bill 261 — would change time limits for criminal cases and civil claims.

Current state law allows prosecutors to charge perpetrators of child sexual assault before the victim turns 50 years old. Victims have until they turn 30 to file civil claims.

Senate Bill 261 and Rozzi’s proposal would raise the limit for bringing a civil claim to age 50. Criminal prosecutions would have no time limit.

Although the recent grand jury report puts the focus on abuse within the Catholic church, the changes will help all victims, Rozzi said.

Contact the writer:

bwellock@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2051, @CVBillW

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